Project 1
by CarterDug
Summary: Project 1 has been cancelled. I apologize to everyone who is following this story.


_But then, Anna heard the sound of a sword being drawn from its scabbard. She turned and saw Hans, behind Elsa, as he raised his sword over his head. _

_"Elsa.", she whispered._

_Anna looked back longingly at Kristoff before turning away from him. Using all of her remaining strength, Anna threw herself in front of Elsa as Hans brought his sword down._

_"No!"_

_As she said this, a heavy coldness seized her, paralyzing her as it spread through her body, freezing over her eyes and ears, and plunging her into a dark and silent abyss. Unsure of what to do, and with panic setting in, she did the only thing for which she still had any control over, and released the air in her lungs. Feeling as though she were about to fall asleep, she clung to her consciousness for as long as she could until it slipped from her grasp and dissipated into the ether._

* * *

Suddenly aware that her eyes were closed, Anna opened them and caught a glimpse of the dark room she was in before immediately falling to the floor, her legs simply refusing to support her. She instinctively bounced back onto her feet, only to fall down again in dramatic fashion, this time landing on her face. Her body was weak and lacked coordination (even for her), and her mind was in a daze. She was suddenly reminded of that time she ate those little mushrooms in the garden that Gerda had warned her not to eat. But Anna was determined to overcome this. She slowly pulled her knees under her stomach and used her hands to push herself up into a kneeling position. Still too disoriented to stand, she decided it would be best to stay in this position for a little while.

The room was quiet, other than the sounds of her falling on the floor, but even those sounds were muffled to her, like her ears were plugged. Her vision was blurry, and no amount squinting seemed to make it better, but even though she could barely see her own two hands clearly, she recognized that she was in her bedroom, and still wearing the same clothes she was wearing on the fjord. Seeing that she was just a few feet from her bed, she planted one foot underneath her body and pushed herself up off the ground; her legs wobbling as she tried to maintain her balance. Realizing she wouldn't be standing much longer, she altered her original plan from walking over to her bed to simply falling down closer to it. (Thump!)

With her face on the floor yet again, she heard a muffled voice call her name. She then felt something cold, ice cold, pushing her up to her bed and rolling her onto it. Shortly after getting her on the bed, the muffled voice started screaming exuberantly before fading into the distance.

"She's Alive! Anna's Alive!"

Olaf's words echoed throughout the castle, and it wasn't long before the news made its way to the queen's chamber. Kai knocked on her door to deliver the news.

"Your majesty?" he said, but there was no answer. As he tried to wake her again, a weary voice interrupted him.

"Come in."

Kai entered the room and set his lantern down on the bedside table. The queen, still in bed, pressed her eyes closed in response to the light. He kneeled down at her bedside so he could speak softly to her.

"Your majesty, I'm sorry to wake you at this hour, but it's about Anna."

The queen quickly opened her eyes and sat up.

"What about Anna?"

"She's thawed, and she's awake."

The queen was in disbelief. "I don't understand. How did this happen?"

Kai shook his head, "I don't know."

"Are you sure about this?"

"I had to see it with my own eyes to believe it."

Kai waited anxiously for her reaction. Slowly, a smile grew on her face as his words began to sink in.

"She's alive?"

He smiled back and nodded to confirm. Her smile was now as bright as he had ever seen it, but it wasn't long before the heavier implications of Anna's return slowly pulled her smile down until only worry and anguish were left.

"How is she?" she asked.

"She was a little weary when I saw her, but, other than that, she was well."

"Did you say anything to her?"

"No, your majesty." he said, almost as soon as she finished the question.

"Has anyone else seen her yet?"

"Just Olaf."

The queen took a moment to assess the situation, carefully weighing her options before deciding on a course of action.

"Make sure she doesn't leave her room. No one is to see her until I speak with her first. And find Olaf; find out if he said anything to her."

Kai responded somberly, "Yes, your majesty", before standing up and leaving the room to carry out her requests, taking the lantern with him.

After the door closed, the queen pulled herself out of bed and opened the curtains to let the light in. The morning sun was just beginning to crest above the horizon. A new dawn was coming. She slipped out of her night gown and into a violet dress with long sleeves, a standing collar, and the crest of Arendelle on the bust. She took a moment to adjust her dress, making sure the alignment was precise, and that it was conforming to her in all the right places before smoothing out any wrinkles and fastening her sapphire pendant at the base of the collar. She then tied her French braid up into a bun, making sure that no strand was out of place before fastening her crown on top and applying a light cinnamon fragrance to herself. A maid knocked on her door just as she finished putting on a matching violet short coat.

"Come in."

Her maid entered and set a tray down on the table, on it was a closed cup of tea and a small glass of mouth-rinse made from soaking mint leaves in water and mixing it with a white cleaning powder that was sometimes used for baking. Her maid had done this every morning without ever saying more than "Good morning". But this was no ordinary morning.

"Wonderful news about Anna don't you think?" she said gleefully. "Everyone's so excited."

The queen smiled politely and acknowledged her with a brief and courteous response before her maid left the room to tend to her other duties around the castle.

A few moments later, Kai knocked on the door to inform her that Princess Anna was waiting to see her. She gave herself one last look in the mirror. Her clothes could only conceal so much. A mix of fear and grief weighed heavy on her face and body. She was conflicted about meeting with the young princess, both eager and apprehensive at the same time. But she couldn't let any of that show. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, pushing all of her fears deep inside her. As she exhaled, she transformed into the poised and cordial queen that Arendelle expected of her.

Kai was waiting outside her door as she came out.

"Did you speak with Olaf?" she asked.

"Yes, your majesty. He didn't say anything to her."

A sigh of relief slipped from her, the only sign that she was distressed. Kai stood beside her, waiting for her cue.

"Are you ready?" Kai asked.

She turned her head slightly in his direction as if she were going to answer him, but instead proceeded to march towards the princess's room.

* * *

Anna had now fully recovered from her thaw. Her vision was sharp, her hearing was clear, and her strength and coordination had returned to levels that she was accustomed to. As soon as she was able to, she was pleading with the guards through the door to let her out, but they simply repeated what they had said nearly a half dozen times already.

"I'm sorry Princess Anna. Queen's orders."

Frustrated, she leaned her back against the door and slid down until the ground stopped her. With her back against the door, the morning sun was now beaming directly into her eyes. She squinted and covered her eyes with one hand while scooting over sideways until she escaped the sun's blinding gaze. She had freed herself from the sun's light, but not from its warmth. Already starting to sweat a little, she took off her winter bonnet and mittens, and unclasped her winter cloak, letting it fall behind her. "It's warm in here" she thought out loud to herself. And that's when it dawned on her, _it's warm in here_.

Starring back curiously at the light shining through her window, she rose to her feet and walked across the room towards the window, the sun's warmth caressing her as she stepped into the light. She looked out the window and gasped at the sight of Arendelle; blue skies, tall white sails catching the summer breeze, and citizens in the courtyard. The gates were open. Everything was back to the way it was; better even. Her excitement was overflowing as she leaned in to get a closer look, placing her hands on the window sill to keep her balance, but she was immediately startled by the dense layer of dust that had accumulated there.

She stared perplexed at the dust on her hand before suddenly hearing a group of footsteps approaching her room. She turned away from the window and ran towards the door, wiping the dust off on her dress along the way. She heard one of the guards address someone as "Your majesty" just as the footsteps arrived outside her door. The handle turned abruptly and the doors swung open. Kia entered the room and quickly stepped to the side to make way for the queen, who seemingly glided into the room. She was the embodiment of perfection, wearing a formal short coat over a luxurious violet dress, her hair made into a perfect bun, and holding her hands in her lap, each covered with a white glove. Her posture was firm, and her movements were graceful and deliberate. Everything about her signaled composure; everything except for her face. Despite her best efforts, the queen's bright eyes and warm smile couldn't contain her joy.

"Elsa."

Anna rushed over to her sister, and, for the first time in forever, gave her the warm hug she'd been longing for for so many years. Elsa hesitated briefly before letting go of her own hands to embrace her sister, still unwilling to fully commit to the belief that her sister had returned, as if she were afraid she would wake up soon and have her heart broken all over again.

"Oh Elsa... you smell really good."

Elsa's tense body broke into laughter. Her sister's oddly placed compliment caught her off guard, very nearly causing her to shed the tears she was fighting back. _Only Anna would say something like that_, she thought to herself.

"I'm so glad you're alright." said Anna.

"Me? I thought you were dead."

"I know!" Anna said excitedly, barely keeping her feet on the ground, "Isn't this great?"

Elsa gently broke the embrace to look into her sister's eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Anna" she said remorsefully, "I never meant to hurt you."

"I know, Elsa. It's okay"

"But you saved my life, even though you didn't have to."

"Well of course." she said cheerfully, "I love you. I couldn't just let...", Anna's face suddenly turned to rage. "Hans! Uhhrrrgg HANS! Where is he? Is he here? Because my fists are dying to meet his face!"

Elsa let out a giggle as she watched her sister march toward the door before stopping her.

"He's not here." she said, still half giggling, "I sent him back, but I can arrange a meeting for you two if you really want to... speak with him."

Anna smiled warmly at her sister. "I don't need to speak with him. I've got everything I need right here."

Elsa's smile dipped slightly, but she was able to force it back into place. That's when Elsa remembered the...

"Chocolate." Elsa said, seemingly out of nowhere. She looked at Kai and he brought over a small box of chocolate treats to Princess Anna.

"For me?!"

Elsa and Kai both nodded. Anna took the box and hopped onto her bed, landing in a seated position and causing the bed to bounce her a few times before naturally stabilizing. These treats were made with the good kind of chocolate, the kind that melted into a creamy texture in your mouth, and each treat had a unique and delicious filling. Anna moaned in delight with each new treat she put into her mouth. Corona certainly made the finest chocolate in the seven kingdoms.

Elsa took a moment to relax and enjoy her sister indulging in her favorite sweets. She always loved seeing her sister happy, especially when she made that big goofy smile that Anna herself was unaware of. And with three pieces of chocolate in her mouth, Anna's smile looked goofier than ever.

"Sho howr ang I arrai?" Anna said.

Elsa looked back at Kai, wondering if he had heard the same thing she did, hoping he could translate her sister's unintelligible speech, but he looked just as confused as she was.

Anna gulped down her chocolate and continued, "So how am I alive? One minute I'm on the fjord, and now I'm here, and the sun is out, and the gates are open."

"So you don't remember anything since the fjord?" Elsa asked with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"Nope."

Elsa broke eye contact momentarily to calculate how much information she wanted Anna to know.

"Well, you turned into ice."

"Well I know that." Anna chuckled while brushing a loose strand of hair back into place.

"We brought you back to your room and this morning you thawed."

"But how? The trolls said only a true love's kiss could thaw a frozen heart."

Elsa smiled, "Well, you did get a kiss after your froze."

Elsa instantly realized she shouldn't have said that, but didn't let her mistake show on her face. It wasn't like her to speak without carefully anticipating where her words would lead the conversation.

"I did? From who?" Anna said, now looking suspiciously at her sister, "Was it you?"

"No." Elsa giggled, still wishing she could take her words back. "It was... Kristoff."

"Kristoff?!" Anna said, almost shouting. She jumped up from her bed, too excited to stay seated.

"Is he here?"

"He'll be back this afternoon. He's the Official Ice Master and Deliverer of Arendelle."

"Is that a thing?"

"It is now."

The two shared a laugh together, and for that brief moment, everything felt perfect. Sensing that the time was right, Elsa looked over at Kai and gave him a subtle nod, which he then returned before exiting the room. As he closed the doors, he made eye contact with the queen one last time, reassuring her with his eyes through the narrowing space between the doors until they were completely shut. With her wingman on the other side of the door, she could feel the fear that she had pushed deep within her beginning to churn its way to the surface.

"Listen", Elsa said with a noticeably more somber tone "about Kristoff..."

"He's such a great guy Elsa," Anna interrupted, too eager to hold it in, "And I think he loves me. If we get married... Oh wait, is there still that law or something that says we have to marry a prince? Because if there still is, then I think we should change..."

Anna put more chocolate in her mouth and continued babbling indistinctly while pacing around the room. Elsa sat down on Anna's bed, listening patiently to her sister's unintelligible speech before coyly interrupting.

"Anna..."

"Oh don't worry." Anna continued, "I know how you feel about marrying men I just met, but I'm gonna take things slow with him, and I promise I won't do anything without your blessing. And I know he's kind of strange at first, but he's really sweet, and I know you'll like him. You just have give him a chance and you'll see..."

Elsa listened uncomfortably for as long as she could before interrupting her again, although much more forcefully than she had intended.

"Anna!"

Her uncharacteristically forceful tone immediately snapped her sister out of her monologue, and Anna's face quickly turned to worry. Elsa composed herself, but continued speaking with a heavier tone in her voice.

"You've been frozen for two years." Elsa said, looking remorsefully at her sister. "We thought you were dead. We all thought you were dead."

"Wow." Anna was unsure of how she was supposed to react to any of this. "I... I didn't know."

Elsa sighed deeply and turned her face to escape Anna's gaze. The once warm room was now much colder. Anna thought about going over to pick up her winter cloak, but she could see that her sister needed her more, and went over to sit next to her. For her (Anna), it felt like they had only been separated for a day, but for Elsa, it had been so much longer. Anna tried to imagine how painful it must have been for Elsa to suffer through another death in the family all by herself, to put so much time into moving on, and then to have her sister suddenly return to life.

"Elsa it's okay." she said warmly. "I'm here now, everything's going to be alright."

Elsa turned and saw Anna's warm smile, and couldn't help but smile back sincerely, and, at least for a moment, she thought that maybe everything would be alright. Anna placed her hand on Elsa's glove and noticed that Elsa was wearing a ring with a large diamond on it. Instantly feeling the weight of Anna's hand on her ring, Elsa quickly pulled her hand back into her lap and covered it with the other.

"Oh my god, are you married?!"

Anna grabbed Elsa's hand to look at the ring, admiring the beautiful sapphire diamond attached to a white gold band. Elsa turned her face away to let out a pained expression before forcing herself to smile and look back at Anna, furious with herself that she absentmindedly put the ring on at all, and that she had now made two mistakes in one of the most important conversations of her life.

"I'm engaged."

Anna jumped to her feet.

"To who!"

Elsa tried to speak, but Anna's excitement interrupted her before she could answer.

"This is so amazing. Is he handsome? Of course he is. I mean, you're the pretty one. I bet he's tall and dark too. And, oh, does he have powers too? Can he control fire? Cause that would be so cool, or should I say hot?!"

Elsa searched for an opportunity to interrupt her sister's rambling. Unable to get a word in, she forcefully interrupted her again.

"It's Kristoff."

Anna's face dropped.

"What about him?" Anna said worryingly. "Did something happen to him? Is he okay? Because..."

"No, Anna." she interrupted, unable to bear being continually misunderstood. She realized now that she couldn't be gentle or subtle with her sister anymore. She took a deep breath and braced herself before finally saying, in no uncertain terms, what she came to say.

"I'm engaged to Kristoff."


End file.
